How Do You Decide on a Preschool For Your Kid?

Soon your tiny tot is going to turn 2 years old and you are already worried about getting him admitted to a top-rated play-school. You both have been browsing on the internet and checking out play-schools in nearby areas but still do not know how to choose the best among the lot. We bring you the list of 5 key parameters that you need to look at while deciding on a pre-school for your kid. Read on and start shortlisting.

Seek opinion from other parents

To begin with, start interacting with parents of other toddlers in your locality and find out about reputed pre-education schools and what kind of experiences their children have had at them. Talk about any new concept that their children have picked up with the help of pre-school training, teacher-student ratio and most importantly about proficiency levels of teachers and other teaching assistants as they are the people who will introduce your little one to the world outside.

Methodology followed at school

Many preschools in Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other developed cities go by certain internationally-approved teaching techniques such as Canadian education methodology, Playway method, Montessori methodology and Reggio Emilia approach among others. While it is a good idea to do a thorough research on these methods of imparting knowledge, parents should find out that whether these are just fancy labels used by a pre-school in India to add to its brand-value or a value-addition to your child’s learning experience. It is important to get answers to the following questions before zeroing in on a pre-school for your child:

What is included in the curriculum? Duration of curriculum and in which ways curriculum is made compatible with the teaching methods?

What is the ratio of child-directed vs teacher-directed activities?

What is the school’s approach towards instilling discipline?

Are there any workshops for parents in order to continue the same learning process during at-home learning sessions?

Safety and Security Measures

One should go and get a first-hand experience of the surroundings and equipment that your child is going to be exposed to. Right from doors padded at the hinges, chairs and desks free from sharp edges to more advanced safety measures such as security cameras in each classroom and school premises are some of the prerequisites that are to be checked. Ask about the safety measures which are being followed at drop or dispersal time to ensure that no child is left behind once the school hours are over. Moreover, do check whether the drivers and maids employed at the school are well-experienced and have been verified at the nearest police station.

Distance Matters

While deciding on a play-school, one should definitely keep in mind the distance between his or her home and the play-school. The shorter, the better for your child. Making toddlers travel for longer duration tends to make the feel tired, sleepy and grumpy, resulting in concentration issues in class. Getting your child admitted in a conveniently located pre-school will also ensure that you can quickly reach there in case there’s an emergency or any other event.

There’s more to consider

Few other things which you need to look at while shortlisting pre-schools for your child include duration of hours, whether a child needs to be given potty-training, provision of meals and the standards to gauge nutrition and cleanliness while preparing them, arrangement for afternoon nap and lastly monetary considerations.

Parents need to remember that the first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial in terms of holistic development of his or her personality and hence it is their responsibility to exercise utmost care while enlisting and adjudging pre-schools for your little bundle of joy.

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